AN INTRODUCTION TO EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME AND EQUINE Cushings pow… · AN INTRODUCTION TO...
Transcript of AN INTRODUCTION TO EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME AND EQUINE Cushings pow… · AN INTRODUCTION TO...
AN INTRODUCTION TO
EQUINE METABOLIC
SYNDROME AND EQUINE
CUSHING’S DISEASE
Allison Doherty
Port Perry Veterinary Services
Me with my red-
headed mares and
their friend
Equine Metabolic Syndrome
Equine Metabolic Syndrome
What is it?
Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is characterized by obesity or regional adiposity, laminitis, and insulin resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the horse’s tissues do not respond to insulin appropriately, causing insulin levels to rise
Horses that are at risk include:
“Easy keepers”
Inadequate exercise
Graze lush pastures
Obese horses fed concentrates
How do I know my horse has it?
EMS horses tend to show the following signs:
Obesity
Regional adiposity
Cresty neck, fat deposits around the tailhead, sheath and above the eyes
Laminitis
Historical or current
Veterinarians diagnose EMS by performing a physical exam on the horse and collecting blood samples to look at the horse’s glucose and insulin levels
http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsehealth/uploaded_im
ages/0527ILPH-pony-laminitis-lr-rgb-730888.jpg
http://www.alexbrollo.com/johnthevet/images/ems1.gif
http://www.thehorse.com/images/content/cushings/ecd_eyes_
small.jpg
How is it treated?
Treatment of EMS includes:
Inducing weight loss in obese horses
Exercise and diet (must be low in non-structural carbohydrates and energy)
Treating laminitis as per your veterinarian’s instructions, and avoiding dietary triggers to prevent future occurrences
Using levothyroxine to promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity
What can I do to prevent EMS?
Obese horses should have their weight managed
Exercise
Diet change
Hay should be tested (and may need to be soaked to
reduce non-structural carbohydrates)
Avoid feeding concentrates
Turnout on grass should be reduced to only a few hours/day
or overnight
Outfit the horse or pony with a grazing muzzle
How do I know if my horse is
overweight?
Many of our equine
friends are “well-fed”
Body condition scoring
is a very helpful tool
to identify overweight
horses and ponies
http://www.rockymountainhorserescue.org/Origina
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Equine Cushing’s Disease
What is it?
Equine Cushing’s Disease is also known as Pars
Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)
It is caused by a tumour called an adenoma located
in the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland (part
of the horse’s brain)
PPID occurs more commonly in pony breeds and in
horses and ponies that are 10 years or older
(usually 20+ years)
How do I know my horse has it?
Horses with PPID tend to show the following signs:
Hirsutism (long haircoat) and abnormal shedding
Excessive drinking and urination
Laminitis
Lethargy, loss of muscle mass, frequent infections…
Veterinarians diagnose a horse/pony with Cushing’s disease by doing a physical exam and confirm the diagnosis by performing blood work
Because of seasonal influences, it is best not to do the blood work in the fall
http://www.horsemanmagazine.com/wp-
content/uploads/2008/10/cushings-disease-
horses.jpg
http://americashorsedaily.com/wp-
content/uploads/cushings.jpg
How is it treated?
The treatment of choice is a medication called
pergolide
Other management considerations include:
Body clipping the horse/pony in the summer if needed
Treating laminitis or infections (hoof abscesses, non-
healing wounds) as per your veterinarian’s instructions
What can I do to prevent it?
Equine Cushing’s Disease is not a preventable
condition, and is fairly common in older horses and
ponies
Managing the condition optimizes the quality of life
for our older horse and pony friends
Bottom line
With nice weather and green grass fast
approaching we need to be careful when turning
out our equine friends, particularly the pudgy ones
If you suspect your horse or pony has Equine
Metabolic Syndrome or Equine Cushing’s Disease
they should be examined by your veterinarian, so
that treatment can be started promptly
Questions?
Thanks for your
attention
I can’t wait to work
with you and your
horses!